Humanities EXPLORE Program: Faculty Call for Applications – New Participants

Application Deadline: Monday April 14, 2025 at 11:59pm

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The Humanities Division Student Achievement Team invites active Senate faculty in the Humanities Division to apply for the Humanities Experiential Learning Opportunities in Research (EXPLORE) Program. Selected faculty will receive student employment funding to hire undergraduate students with a major or minor in the Division for paid positions on faculty research projects. Funds in this award begin in Fall 2025 or Winter 2026 and run through August 31, 2026.

This call is for faculty interested in participating in Humanities EXPLORE who have not done so previously. If you currently participate in the Humanities EXPLORE Program, please complete this call instead.

We define undergraduate research as a scaffolded inquiry or an investigation conducted under the guidance of a faculty mentor that makes an impactful intellectual, community-engaged, or creative contribution. Preference will be given to applications for faculty projects from Critical Race and Ethnic Studies, Feminist Studies, Philosophy, and Writing Programs so that EXPLORE represents the range of Humanities Division scholarship. Please view participating EXPLORE projects here.

About Humanities EXPLORE:

EXPLORE Fellows earn $20/hour, committing at least 10 hours weekly while engaging with mentors, staff, and peers to support their research growth. The program helps students reflect on their research experience, develop career-ready skills, and build a strong support network. It prepares them to be socially just leaders in academic, professional, and community settings. Fellows identify key skills, assess their progress, and strengthen their professional materials, such as resumes and cover letters. EXPLORE prioritizes transfer student inclusion and culminates in a spring showcase where students reflect on their contributions.

Mentorship Requirements

Faculty must meet with EXPLORE Fellows at least twice monthly to provide guidance and feedback. They should ensure sufficient research work is available and be prepared to support fellows throughout the project. A progress report is due in June 2026, including relevant project outcomes. Faculty mentors will also assess researchers, meet with staff, and contribute testimony for Mellon grant reporting, potentially through a survey.

Recruiting EXPLORE Fellows

Faculty must conduct open-call recruitment for at least two weeks to ensure accessibility. The Humanities Student Achievement team will oversee recruitment and applications. Selection for Fall 2025 positions occurs in Spring 2025 and Winter 2026 positions in Fall 2025. Eligible students must be declared or proposed Humanities majors/minors with work authorization.

Application

1. Overview : Briefly describe your research project. Is it a team-based public humanities project? Archival research? Oral history collection? Text-based research?
2. Undergraduate research assistant responsibilities : Please describe what students will work on and/or the learning activities students might engage in. Please include a breakdown of anticipated job duties in weighted percentages that total 100%. Please include specific tasks and responsibilities under each category.
3. Developing transferable skills: Please describe which humanistic core competencies your project and mentorship will provide throughout this scaffolded experience. What transferable skills will researchers gain, and how?
4. Qualifications for success : What skills, knowledge, or abilities are you seeking in a researcher? How much experience is required, and what will you train students on?
5. Number of researchers : How many undergraduate research assistant positions would you like to create for your project?
6. Start date : Please indicate which quarter the opportunity can begin during the 2025-2026 academic year.
   1. Fall Quarter 2025
   2. Winter Quarter 2026
7. Summer Employment: If students are available, would you like research duties to continue throughout summer 2026?
8. Time commitment: What weekly time commitment (in hours) is needed per research fellow for the project? Minimum: 10 hours/week. Maximum: 20 hours/week.
9. Additional resources needed : If your project requires extra resources, such as equipment or travel, please explain that here. If you have questions about developing a resource proposal, please contact Amy Bruinooge.
10. Comments : Anything else you’d like to share?

How To Apply

Complete applications are due by Sunday, April 13, 2025.

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The Dean will determine awards in consultation with the Student Achievement team. Awards will be announced by Friday, April 18, 2025. Applications will open for students starting April 28, 2025 through May 11, 2025.

Questions? Contact Asst. Director of Experiential Learning Kylie Rachwalski at hum-experiential-learning@ucsc.edu or book a 30-minute consultative appointment here.

The Mellon Foundation, The Helen and Will Webster Foundation, The Humanities Institute, and the UCSC Humanities Division generously support the Humanities EXPLORE Program.